Memphis guide: how to get there, what to see

Flights to Memphis: need to know

Cheap airline tickets to Memphis

Planning a trip to Tennessee? Start your vacation with flights to Memphis, the state's most vibrant city. Flights touch down at Memphis International Airport (MEM), the world's busiest cargo airport. Catch flights onboard American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

When to book the cheapest flights to Memphis

Memphis can get extremely hot in the summer months. If you're not used to high heat and humidity, it's best to avoid booking your vacation here in July or August. Flights to Memphis should be booked at least 3-4 months in advance for the best flight prices.

Peak season: Autumn and spring are ideal.

Low season: Summer, due to the extreme heat.

Flight duration

A flight to Memphis from New York takes 3 hours.

Experience Memphis: sights, tours and activities

Memphis is famous for a lot of things but it's big ticket attraction is Graceland, where Elvis Presley lived in his later years. Memphis is the birthplace of the blues and today it's one of the state's liveliest cities with great nightlife and concerts on offer.

Essentials in Memphis

Graceland: This is by far the most popular attraction in Memphis. Take a tour of the house, check out the King's car collection and get an up close look at his costumes and gold records. At just about any time of the year you can spot Elvis fans dressed up like the King of Rock and Roll paying homage to their hero.

Beale Street: This is where blues music got its start. There are dozens of bars and clubs along Beale Street and most all offer live music in the evenings. At night the street is closed to traffic so you can hop your way along the strip from bar to bar.

Mississippi River: This strong and mighty river runs right on through Memphis and is an important part of the city. For views of the river head to Tom Lee Park or take a river cruise.

Hotels and accommodation in Memphis

Memphis doesn't have loads of choice when it comes to hotels and you'll find it quite tricky to find a hotel room in Memphis in either January or August (Elvis' birth and death months). You'll find the usual choices though: Doubletree, Holiday Inn, Motel 6, Marriott, Ramada, etc.